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75 of 77 found the following review helpful:
 Star-Crossed Lovers in a Paradise LostMay 01, 2000
By rw9
PROS: ---- 1. The Legend of Lotus Spring takes place in the 19th Century Garden of Perfect Brightness, where the Chinese emperors housed the women they were forbidden to take as official concubines. This is a Myst-style game, with interiors reminiscent of a string of piercingly-lit, palpably inviting, 3-dimension-like shadow boxes. It feels as though you are making yourself at home in a historical summer palace, where for once it's okay to clamber about on the furniture. Here you find fascinating objects to examine and (sometimes) use -- a dragon's head seismograph, a dim sum picnic lunch, bonsai, jade figurines, ancient musical instruments -- every item in itself a work of art. Each room also has a key animation showing the Emperor Xian Feng and Lotus Spring when they were together; and occasionally there are hints that point to the tragedy that will soon separate them.2. The Garden of Perfect Brightness, which was destroyed during the Opium Wars, was reputed to be one of the most beautiful places ever created. The attempt to recreate it here is intricate and splendid -- paths that wind lazily through delicately structured, astonishing, color-drenched scenes. 3. The Legend of Lotus Spring is contemplative, absorbing, and mysterious; it is set in a world so detailed that you see new things every time you visit. CONS: ---- 1. The opening is a bit too sentimental, the music is repetitive, and the cursor can be annoyingly cute. Also, the Emperor looks pretty young to be acquiring (and losing) concubines. It took me awhile to realize that this game is not so much an actual reenactment of a historical incident as it is a myth-like drama, with the Garden as a stage and history as a backdrop. 2. Even though there aren't any difficult puzzles, it is possible to become "stuck" if you happen to miss an important directional arrow, inventory item, or hot spot. BOTTOM LINE: ---- If you enjoy historical romance, or if you have any interest in art, gardening, or interior design, you will love this game.
43 of 46 found the following review helpful:
Important new game for girls--finally!Apr 27, 2000
I thought about whether this game should really get 5 stars, and I decided that it should, because it's about time someone created a game for women: i.e., a game that takes some intelligence to "win," and that doesn't necessitate killing everything in sight. My eleven-year-old daughter and I have both been playing this game, and I think we both have a feeling that it has its flaws, the main one of which is that the main character barely exists; but it is TRULY a work of art, exquisitely beautiful, and the music is poignant, as is the entire mood of the game. It is an important contribution to this genre, which almost invariably insults women in its attitudes toward them, their roles, their images and their intelligence.
17 of 19 found the following review helpful:
Lotus Spring, how does your garden grow?Jan 16, 2003
By VCQ
"The Legend of Lotus Spring" is the first game from Women Wise, a feminist group dedicated to producing quality games that appeal to a female gaming audience. "Lotus Spring" is more of an interactive exploration than a game per se: there are really no puzzles, no mazes, and no missions other than exploring the now-extinct Garden of Perfect Brightness in 19th century China. You play as Emperor Xian Feng and are searching for your love, the concubine HeHanQu, who, as a Han woman, was forbidden from marrying the Emperor, and the jealousy of the Dowager Empress CiXi proves formidable as she sends HeHanQu, or Lotus Spring, to an island in the middle of the garden. But Lotus Spring has disappeared and now you must find her.... "Lotus Spring" is filled with history and touches of now-vanished imperial China under the Qing dynasty. As you explore the many sights and locations in the Garden of Perfect Brightness you will stumble upon shared moments between the Emperor and Lotus Spring, many of which are poignant. Although not essential to winning the game, there are several exploration-type activities which are quite fun, including trying out various traditional Chinese musical instruments, brush painting, and more. Along the way you run across various animals and insects, although, much like Myst, there are no other people to interact with. The style is very similar to Myst, in a first-person point-and-click slideshow. The pros:
+ Beautiful graphics that bring imperial China to life: intricate jade sculptures, bonsai, Chinese silks and dresses, dim sum picnic lunches, ancient musical instruments...
+ The originality and depth of the story
+ A touching love story
+ Exploring the reconstructed garden and the numerous pavilions, temples, shrines, etc. as well as the garden itself
+ Access to the lovers' shared dreams and entries in a diary The only gripes that I have with "Lotus Spring" are:
- The music is too repetitive
- The doll cursor is annoyingly cute and overly large
- The pace may be too slow for seasoned gamers Women Wise has also commissioned a novella based upon the real historical events that inspired "Lotus Spring"
22 of 26 found the following review helpful:
 Lotus Spring is Lame!Nov 26, 2000
By hecwords
If you like playing games like Myst or Riven, you'll be bored to tears by Lotus Spring. It only gets one star because the buildings are pretty, and I laud the attempt to make a computer game appealing especially to women. But women who like to play computer games deserve much more than Lotus Spring. The story could have been acceptable -- except we're told in the beginning it ends tragically. So what's the point of solving the truly mindless puzzles and reading bad copy (and worse poetry) in Lotus Spring's Diary that must have been written by a non-native English speaker? There are women gamers out here who enjoy playing intelligent, challenging games that aren't fueled exclusively by testosterone-induced blood lust. If you're one of us, don't buy Lotus Spring--instead go to an online aution site and look for a (now out of print) copy of Obsidian.
10 of 11 found the following review helpful:
Lame and SillySep 23, 2001
If all you like in a computer game is pretty scenery, then go for it. But if you're in it for the game, stay away. I got this game for free from the manufacturer, or I wouldn't have bothered with it in the first place. I am very suspicious of any entertainment that's marketed to women, as it is often patronizing. I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised here and was not. Yes, the garden is pretty and there are interesting things to look at in the many buildings. But this is mindless entertainment. First of all, where is the plot? The purpose of the game is to unravel the story you are told in the introduction, but to achieve that all you have to do is explore a museum-like world and passively watch from afar as a romance is played out from beginning to end in short cinematics. I wouldn't call that adventure, much less a game. It seems that to appeal to women, the designers are trying to create a game that focuses more on character relationships than on plot. But this game lacks both. The most successful adventure games combine great characters, intricate plots (and subplots) and at least a hint of danger. If you are looking for adventure games that are non-violent, or at least low on violence, here are some suggestions: Titanic: Adventure Out of Time, Dust, Amber: Journeys Beyond, Beyond Atlantis, The Longest Journey.
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